Marvel Strike Force Gwenpool Guide - Theria Games

Introduction

Gwenpool is a distinct and entertaining character in Marvel Strike Force, known for her quirky background and crucial role in the game. In the comics, Gwenpool is an original creation, inspired by Deadpool and Gwen Stacy but is not directly related to either character. Her origins stem from being a version of Gwen Stacy designed for a Deadpool-themed comic cover.

Interestingly, Gwenpool comes from the real world, where she was transported into the comic book universe. Her knowledge of comic lore and the ability to break the fourth wall are her defining traits, compensating for her lack of superhuman powers. She uses this meta-awareness to deliver unique and humorous attacks, often involving comic book texts. Learn more in our Marvel Strike Force Gwenpool Guide.

In Marvel Strike Force, Gwenpool plays an essential role as a hero, city, mystic, brawler, and new Warrior character. She is the fifth member of the New Warriors team and serves as a key asset for countering the Tangled Web and Eternal teams. Gwenpool’s versatile abilities make her an excellent choice for Cosmic Crucible battles, where she can shine. Additionally, her city trait proves beneficial in completing city nodes across various game modes, adding strategic value to her inclusion in different teams.

How to Unlock Gwenpool

To unlock Gwenpool in Marvel Strike Force, players can follow multiple pathways. First, the Out of This World event is a six-day solo event that starts on Tuesdays, providing a chance to unlock Gwenpool at three stars. This event revolves around participating in raid battles, where players can earn up to 100,000 points per raid battle, with a cap of 10.2 million points.

To reach the cap, players need to complete about 17 raid battles per day over the six-day event, totaling 102 battles. Additionally, spending 1,000 campaign energy per day will yield 1.6 million points daily, adding up to 9.6 million points over the course of the event. As a reward, participants can earn 100,000 Blazing X genes, which contribute to Gwenpool’s unlock.

Another way to progress Gwenpool’s star rank is through the Pool Party Orb, which can be opened with gold. These orbs contain Gwenpool character shards, and while opening these may help increase her rank to four stars, it requires a substantial amount of gold. In addition to Gwenpool shards, the orb may also provide other useful items, including the Super Rad Gear Orb (containing gear for tiers 16 and 17), the Pretty Sweet Gear Orb (for gear tiers 14 and 15), and the Sciency Tech Orb (which offers ISO 8 research).

Lastly, there may be an alliance event tied to Cosmic Crucible, offering another opportunity to earn Gwenpool character shards or resources for her progression.

Abilities

Gwenpool has a range of powerful abilities in Marvel Strike Force, each of which enhances her role as a versatile hero, especially within the New Warriors team.

Quick Shot

Level: 1

Damage: 60

A Cut Above

Level: 1

Damage: 60

Rocket Jump

Level: 1

Damage: 150

Editorial Sight

Level: 1

Heal: 40

Her Basic – Quick Shot ability deals damage to a primary target and clears all barrier effects on that target. If the target had a barrier, Gwenpool grants herself a barrier equal to 30% of her max health; if the target did not have a barrier, the self-barrier is 15% of her max health. Additionally, she will attack the primary target and apply defense up for two turns to a random New Warrior ally that does not already have defense up. The effectiveness of this ability can depend on the order of actions in the team, particularly which character acts first.

Gwenpool’s Special – A Cut Above costs 7 energy and attacks the primary target, chaining to four adjacent targets. This ability flips three positive effects into negative effects on each target. Gwenpool also gains taunt, applies three deflect to herself and all New Warrior allies, and, in Cosmic Crucible offense, can flip stealth on each target, gain immunity, fill her speed bar by 70%, and gain +1000% extra focus for this attack. It can even chain to stealth targets and is immune to counterattacks if Gwenpool has three or more New Warrior allies, although counterattacks will break the chain.

Her Ultimate – Rocket Jump costs 8 energy and attacks all enemies for damage, while also clearing all negative effects from herself and all New Warrior allies. In Cosmic Crucible offense, it grants safeguard, defense up, and speed up to Gwenpool and all New Warrior allies. Additionally, characters killed by this attack cannot be revived, making it a potent ability for controlling the battlefield.

Gwenpool’s Passive – Editorial Sight provides several benefits. Upon spawn, she applies one evade to herself and all New Warrior allies, with two evades applied in Cosmic Crucible offense. On the turn of any chargeable New Warrior ally, she applies one charge to that ally, and in Cosmic Crucible offense, she applies an additional charge.

If Gwenpool drops below 50% health and is taunted, she heals for 40% of her max health, gains stealth, and clears the taunt. She also provides armor to herself and New Warrior allies. In Cosmic Crucible offense, she gains health, gives health to New Warriors, and gains +50% accuracy. This makes Gwenpool a valuable asset in both offensive and defensive strategies, especially within the New Warriors team.

Iso-8

When choosing an Iso-8 class for Gwenpool in Marvel Strike Force, there are a few options to consider, with the Raider class standing out as the top recommendation. Gwenpool can benefit from almost any Iso-8 class, but certain classes complement her abilities better than others. Since Gwenpool doesn’t cast debuffs on enemies (aside from flipping positive effects into negatives with her special), the Skirmisher class isn’t an ideal fit. Additionally, Healer is not a strong choice either, as she doesn’t provide healing, although her high HP can make her regeneration abilities useful in certain situations.

Raider is considered the optimal choice for Gwenpool, particularly in Cosmic Crucible. As a Raider, she has a higher chance to land multiple critical hits, making her a significant threat to enemies. In Cosmic Crucible offense, her special ability, which hits up to five different targets, benefits from the Raider class, increasing the damage potential across those targets. Additionally, Gwenpool’s Raider class helps set up Firestar, as it provides the highest chance to apply Vulnerable to multiple enemies, synergizing well with Firestar’s abilities.

Striker is the second best option for Gwenpool. It pairs well with Firestar’s synergy, allowing Gwenpool to attack Vulnerable targets and then follow up with a secondary strike to apply Offense Up to one of the New Warriors. With Striker, Gwenpool has the opportunity to deliver multiple attacks, further maximizing her damage output. In Dark Dimension, Striker can also be a strong choice, as it allows Gwenpool to apply defensive buffs more effectively and benefit from the barrier generated by her basic ability.

Team Synergies and Placement

Gwenpool is a crucial member of the New Warriors team in Marvel Strike Force, which consists of Firestar, Deathpool, Cloak, Dagger, and herself. The team’s synergies are carefully designed to enhance each other’s strengths and make them highly effective in both offense and defense. For optimal team composition, it’s important to pay attention to character placement.

Dagger, who passively buffs herself and adjacent allies with Offense Up before each move, should not be placed in a corner, as she would only be able to boost one other team member. Instead, it is recommended to position her centrally, allowing her to buff multiple allies. Cloak should be placed near Gwenpool, as Cloak’s improved chance to dodge benefits from being close to the protector. A recommended team placement from left to right is: Cloak, Dagger, Deathpool, Firestar, and Gwenpool.

The New Warriors team is fast overall, with the recommended turn order being Gwenpool, followed by Firestar, Deathpool, Cloak, and Dagger. Gwenpool is faster than Firestar, and Deathpool’s passive boosts the team’s speed, making them particularly fast in raids and Cosmic Crucible offense. This fast turn order allows the team to maintain constant pressure, especially with Gwenpool taking the first turn.

In terms of synergies, the New Warriors are particularly effective against Tangled Web defensive teams, largely due to the accuracy provided by Firestar and Gwenpool. The team grants 100% accuracy in Cosmic Crucible offense, allowing them to bypass Spider-Weaver’s charged mechanic. Deathpool and Firestar perform significantly better when Gwenpool is on the team, as her passive will charge their abilities more quickly, casting one additional charge on each of their turns (two in Cosmic Crucible offense).

Dagger supports the team by providing +50% Resistance and +15% Damage in raids and Cosmic Crucible offense. Cloak adds +40% Focus and +15% Damage in those modes, while Gwenpool boosts the team’s +50% Armor, +40% Max Health (in Cosmic Crucible offense), and +50% Accuracy (in Cosmic Crucible offense). These synergies make the New Warriors a highly cohesive and potent team.

Key Strategies

When playing Gwenpool in Marvel Strike Force, there are several key strategies to maximize her effectiveness. First and foremost, accuracy plays a critical role in countering the Tangled Web team. By leveraging the passive abilities of both Firestar and Gwenpool, the New Warriors team gains +100% accuracy in Cosmic Crucible offense, which is enough to bypass Spider-Weaver’s Charged mechanic. This makes the team exceptionally effective against the Tangled Web defense.

When prioritizing abilities, focus on leveling up Gwenpool’s special, ultimate, and passive abilities with T4 materials. These abilities significantly enhance her role in combat, while the basic ability is less of a priority. Similarly, Firestar’s ultimate and passive abilities should be prioritized, with her ultimate becoming especially valuable in Cosmic Crucible Offense, where it applies Trauma and Heal Block to primary and adjacent targets. Cloak’s ultimate and passive abilities are also worth investing in with T4 materials to further boost the team’s power.

For Gwenpool’s Iso-8 class, Raider is the recommended choice, as it is particularly effective in Cosmic Crucible. As a Raider, Gwenpool has a high chance of landing multiple critical hits, which significantly boosts her damage potential. Additionally, this class increases her chance to apply Vulnerable, setting up Firestar for additional damage.

Team composition and placement are also crucial. The New Warriors team includes Firestar, Deathpool, Cloak, Dagger, and Gwenpool. The most important consideration is where to place Dagger, who passively provides Offense Up to herself and adjacent allies. Dagger should not be placed in a corner, as this limits the number of allies she can buff. It is ideal to position Cloak near Gwenpool, as Cloak benefits from an improved chance to dodge, making him an effective protector. A recommended team placement, from left to right, is Cloak, Dagger, Deathpool, Firestar, and Gwenpool.

In terms of turn order, the New Warriors team is fast, with Gwenpool taking the first turn, followed by Firestar, Deathpool, Cloak, and Dagger. Deathpool’s passive ability further accelerates the team’s speed, especially in raids and Cosmic Crucible offense, making them an even faster and more dynamic team. Gwenpool’s speed also surpasses that of Firestar, allowing her to take advantage of her abilities earlier in the fight.

For Red Stars, aim to upgrade all New Warriors to at least 5 Red Stars, with those you plan to take to the Dark Dimension potentially reaching 6 or 7 Red Stars for maximum power.

Finally, understanding and utilizing team synergies is crucial for success. The New Warriors team is designed to counter the Tangled Web defensive teams, particularly with the accuracy provided by Firestar and Gwenpool. Additionally, every time it is Firestar or Deathpool’s turn to play, Gwenpool will passively cast one more charged, boosting their abilities and making the team even more formidable. These synergies make the New Warriors team an incredibly strong and cohesive force in Marvel Strike Force.

T4 Prioritization

For Gwenpool and the New Warriors in Marvel Strike Force, prioritizing T4 upgrades for key abilities is essential for maximizing their effectiveness in battle. For Gwenpool, focus on her special, ultimate, and passive abilities. These abilities should be maxed out, as they are the most impactful for her performance. If you must prioritize one ability over the others, the order should be passive, special, then ultimate.

Gwenpool’s special ability adds significant damage, immunity, and speed bar, which is vital for Cosmic Crucible. Her ultimate provides damage, safeguard, defense up, and speed up, all of which are essential for countering the Tangled Web Eternal matchup. Her passive grants evade and accuracy, crucial for bypassing enemy defenses in such matchups. While her basic ability is helpful for clearing barrier from the primary target, it is a lower priority compared to the others.

For Firestar, prioritize her ultimate and passive abilities. Her ultimate ability, when maxed, applies Trauma and Heal Block to the primary and adjacent targets, making it a key ability in Cosmic Crucible. It is critical to max out these abilities to maximize her utility in team setups.

For Cloak, T4 Ability Materials should be invested in his ultimate and passive. Maxing his ultimate increases damage, while his passive provides +20% Focus for the team and +10% Dodge Chance to Cloak if he has Offense Up, further enhancing his survivability and effectiveness.

As a team-wide strategy, it’s important to prioritize these T4 upgrades to ensure the New Warriors team is fully optimized for critical matchups. Without these upgrades, especially in Unlimited and Tangled Web Eternal battles, the team’s synergy and overall effectiveness will suffer. Thus, maxing out these abilities is crucial for achieving success in these key battles.

Red Star Recommendations

For Gwenpool and the New Warriors in Marvel Strike Force, it is recommended to upgrade all New Warriors to a minimum of 5 Red Stars. This ensures they are powerful enough for most game modes and competitive content. If you plan to take any of the New Warriors to the Dark Dimension, consider pushing them to 6 or 7 Red Stars to maximize their effectiveness in that challenging environment. However, if you do not intend to upgrade the Red Stars soon, 4 to 5 Red Stars is typically sufficient to maintain solid performance without overcommitting resources.

Strengths

Gwenpool in Marvel Strike Force is a durable brawler capable of both taking and dealing significant damage. With high health and resistance stats, she excels in survivability, allowing her to endure longer in battle. She also acts as a battery for New Warrior allies, especially Deathpool and Firestar, by providing additional charges, helping Deathpool use her ultimate more frequently and enabling her to perform an instant kill by turn two.

Gwenpool’s ability to provide accuracy is a crucial strength, as she enhances her team’s accuracy, with an extra 100% accuracy in Cosmic Crucible offense, which allows the team to bypass Spider-Weaver’s charged mechanic and counter Tangled Web defensive teams effectively. Additionally, Gwenpool is faster than Firestar, allowing her to act earlier and contribute more quickly in battles.

Her special ability is a multi-target attack that flips stealth in Cosmic Crucible, giving her even more utility in that mode. Designed with Cosmic Crucible in mind, Gwenpool’s kit also includes self-sustain mechanics, such as healing 40% of her max health, gaining stealth, and clearing taunt if she drops below 50% health while taunted. She further enhances the team’s resilience by applying evade to herself and all New Warrior allies upon spawn, and in Cosmic Crucible offense, she applies two evades to the team. Additionally, Gwenpool provides a 50% armor boost, both to herself and her New Warrior allies, bolstering their defenses and making them tougher to defeat in battles.

Team Mechanics

The New Warriors in Marvel Strike Force are a team designed primarily for Cosmic Crucible (CC) Offense, with their mechanics heavily focused on speed, regeneration, and applying debuffs to enemies. The team benefits from a +10% Crit Chance and Crit Damage for each Charged character on the team, and when attacking opponents with Blind, they gain Regeneration. As a fast team, Deathpool’s Passive further boosts the team’s speed by filling the Speed Bar.

Key buffs for the team include 3 Regenerations for 2 turns and +1 Evade in all game modes. In Cosmic Crucible offense, the team enjoys an additional +2 Evade and a 20% Speed Bar fill. In Raids, all members, except Firestar, benefit from the 20% Speed Bar fill as well.

Each New Warrior contributes to the team’s mechanics with individual abilities: Firestar adds +1 Charged, while Deathpool provides +1 Charged (both in Raids and CC Offense). Gwenpool boosts the team with +50% Armor, 40% Max Health, and 50% Accuracy in Cosmic Crucible offense. Dagger offers +50% Resistance and +15% Damage in Raids and CC Offense, while Deathpool adds +10% Drain and +20% Max Health to the team. Cloak contributes +40% Focus and +15% Damage in Raids and CC Offense.

The team roles are clearly defined: Cloak and Dagger are capable of dealing massive damage and applying numerous debuffs to enemies, often crippling them, especially when combined with the Trauma from Firestar. Support is provided by Dagger and Deathpool, with Dagger offering Regeneration and direct healing, while Deathpool utilizes Drain attacks to steal health from the opponent and redistribute it to the team. Additionally, all team members gain +10% Drain thanks to Deathpool’s Passive. Cloak, while able to heal the team as well, does so to a much lesser and less reliable extent.

How to Counter Tangled Web Teams

To counter Tangled Web teams in Marvel Strike Force using Gwenpool and the New Warriors, the key strategy revolves around maximizing accuracy, leveraging Gwenpool’s utility, and maintaining speed. Start by assembling the full New Warriors team: Gwenpool, Firestar, Deathpool, Cloak, and Dagger. Accuracy is crucial for this strategy, as Firestar and Gwenpool together provide +100% Accuracy in Cosmic Crucible Offense, allowing you to bypass Spider-Weaver’s Charged mechanic, which typically reduces the accuracy of incoming attacks.

Maximizing Gwenpool’s abilities is essential, with a focus on her special, ultimate, and passive abilities. Her special is vital in countering stealth and flipping buffs, as it flips stealth on each target and turns three positive effects into negative effects on all targets in Cosmic Crucible. For her Iso-8, equip the Raider class to maximize her effectiveness.

The correct turn order is crucial for optimizing the team’s performance: Gwenpool, followed by Firestar, Deathpool, Cloak, and Dagger. Gwenpool should be used as a protector on the team, utilizing her taunt to draw enemy attacks while flipping buffs on enemies and applying deflects on her team. In Cosmic Crucible Offense, she enhances the team’s sustain and mitigation by providing a combination of Safeguard, Defense Up, and Speed Up.

Lastly, take advantage of the team’s speed. The New Warriors are inherently fast, and Deathpool’s Passive further fills the Speed Bar in Cosmic Crucible, allowing your team to act quickly and stay ahead of the opponent. By using these strategies, you can effectively counter the Tangled Web team.

Concerns

Gwenpool and the New Warriors in Marvel Strike Force present several concerns that players should consider when planning to use them effectively. A primary concern is the heavy gating behind Cosmic Crucible. Gwenpool’s abilities are largely designed for this game mode, which raises questions about her and the team’s effectiveness outside of Cosmic Crucible content. Additionally, the team’s viability is heavily dependent on specific T4 abilities. Without unlocking the necessary T4s, especially for key abilities like Gwenpool’s special, ultimate, and passive, the New Warriors’ performance in important matchups—such as against Tangled Web Eternals—could suffer.

Another challenge lies in the high Mystic gear requirements for the New Warriors. With four out of the five members having the Mystic trait, gearing them up becomes difficult, particularly since many of the best Dark Dimension characters also have the Mystic trait. Gwenpool’s taunt mechanic also raises concerns, especially for free-to-play players, as there is a risk that Gwenpool may be the first character to take hits, especially from powerful enemies like Spider-Weaver, which could lead to her being quickly eliminated if she isn’t adequately built.

There is also uncertainty around whether the New Warriors, even with Firestar and Gwenpool, can consistently defeat Gamma teams, which remain a formidable challenge. Furthermore, potential bugs and inconsistencies in Gwenpool’s kit could affect her performance. Some players report that her abilities may not be functioning as intended, and there are concerns regarding her lack of focus, even when equipped as a skirmisher. Another drawback is the long cooldowns on her abilities, with her special and ultimate having seven- and eight-energy cooldowns, respectively. This makes her less effective in game modes outside of Cosmic Crucible, where sustained use of her abilities would be beneficial.

Gwenpool’s basic and ultimate abilities may also be considered underwhelming, and the passive evade mechanic doesn’t provide much value, as there is no way for Gwenpool to gain evades consistently. Additionally, her ultimate’s mechanic of clearing negative effects may interfere with the drain mechanic of Deathpool, as it would be better if Gwenpool cleared negative effects before dealing damage to allow Deathpool to heal and drain more effectively. Finally, the lack of raid tags for Gwenpool restricts the team’s utility in raids, limiting their versatility in other game modes where they could otherwise shine.